RTL Today - New term at Grevenmacher secondary school: Students respond to potential smartphone ban

Students at the Grevenmacher secondary school returned to class this week, with many reacting positively to the prospect of a nationwide mobile phone ban.

On Tuesday morning, an RTL Radio team visited the Maacher Lycée to cover the start of the new school year. Headmaster Gilles Estgen, who is about to retire, spoke with our colleagues in the cafeteria. Estgen noted that his successor, Pierre Weisgerber, will face significant challenges, particularly in managing artificial intelligence and digitalisation.

Weisgerber, who will take over in October with responsibility for 1,300 students, acknowledged the "enormous responsibility" of the role, describing it as "the most exciting thing."

Regarding the partial mobile phone ban recently announced by Minister of Education Claude Meisch, the secondary school in Grevenmacher is well prepared. Currently, students already have the option to leave their phones in designated pockets near the blackboard before class.

First-year student Stella Koob views a potential nationwide mobile phone ban positively, stating, "I think it's quite important, as many students spend a lot of time on their phones. It's good to create some distance between us [and the phones]."

Classmate Felix Schmit shares this sentiment, adding, "Many students are already on their smartphones a lot at home, and that shouldn’t be the case at school."

Conversely, sixth-year student Roby Brickler sees the potential ban as a significant shift. While he agrees that the measure makes sense for primary education, he feels it would represent a larger change in secondary education but still understands the rationale behind it.